Lightninrod

I'll update y'all when my boss get's the written report. Robby said they enter all the lengths and weights into a software program which will analyze them as to their length vs weight and the ratio of the different species to each other for a 'perfect' pond. Btw, he did say that you either have a Crappie pond or you have a Bass pond and not both togeather unless the pond is 20 acres or larger. The Crappie will overcome the Bass as they reproduce in larger numbers and end up eating most of the forage. Dan

Thanks for the replies y'all. basser89: Do a search for pond management firms and/or hatcheries in your area and ask if you can. This was a "one time deal" for me as those ponds belong to my boss and he asked me if I'd help out. Of course I was glad to since he lets me fish there any time I want to and I wanted a new-to-me experience since at my age, those don't come along very often . Sorry for no really big fish and the pics themselves could have been better but it was a "hurry up" kinda situation. I couldn't take any pics of them in the water as I was too busy dippin' and swingin' . I forgot to mention that is was so :cool: to see the Bluegill as they raced around before getting completely shocked. They reminded me of Piranha that I saw on TV. At one point, they just blossomed up out of an underwater bush; dozens of them racing or floating around. All were released unharmed. I did get a little bit of current thru my body when my bare arm would touch the metal rail placed around the three sides of the front deck. Had a long sleeve shirt on for the first 2 or 3 hours and then I took it off and then some amps went tingling thru my arm. I told Robby about it after we finished and he said he'd have to have it checked out as there wasn't suppose to be any current running thru those rails. Dan

Well, I was wrong about at least one thing; I was the only 'fish scooper' as Robby(American Sport Fish Hatchery Biologist) ran the outboard(4 cycle--very quiet) and the generator/amp foot control from the rear seat of his big jonboat. He filled a bottle with the pond water for later analysis. It was a warm(70's), sunny day and my only regret is I didn't fish any. I stood on the bow deck with a 12'handle/net. He'd press the foot control, sending 3-4 amps into the water from two long, aluminum pipes with steel wires hanging down from the pipe ends. The pipes were pointing straight out the bow from each side. I'd scoop and he controlled the boat/amps. I'd release the fish into the livewell behind me. I'm tired from scooping and stepping down to the livewell, carrying the netted fish and then having to step back up onto the raised deck with the long-handled net. For the first time, I wore a Cabela's life vest provided by him. I don't have the weights/lengths/numbers recorded. That will come from his written report. After shocking/scooping the first pond, he nosed the boat up to the dam and then he'd measure(in MMs) each fish, weighing only the Bass. He'd call out the numbers and I'd write them down on his fish reporting sheet. We'd stop for pics every now and then. We repeated everything in the bigger pond where I fish. You will see a 4-5(?) catfish from the smaller pond and one 3-4 lb Bass. I netted 50 or so bluegills from that one too. You will see a 6, 1 oz Bass netted from the bigger pond. My biggest from that pond is a 6lb, 8 oz Bass. There way less bluegill in the bigger pond and quite a few shellcrackers but no catfish netted or seen. We did see a big(7-8 lbs?) shocked grass carp in the smaller pond but didn't net it. I'll probably remember more as y'all ask questions but that's all for now except the pics: Big Pond 6 lb Bass Same--I think? Same Length Another Bass Bluegill Scale and measuring sheet Small Pond Measuring Catfish--small pond Bass--small pond Measuring He wants the small ones too Robby and the record sheet Still recovering Again Small pond from the dam Another view I'se tired! Dan

I just found out this morning that we are going to shock/test my boss's two ponds. He has a much smaller(2 acres?) one a 1/4 mile or so above the one I fish in. I'm to meet the p/m guy at 10 AM tomorrow. fbl: No video camera, just a digital Canon. Dan

My boss asked me if I wanted to go down to his pond Thursday and meet with a man that was going to do an intial pond management study of his Bass pond. So I said, "No"----NOT! I'm going to meet the guy as he needs an extra 'hand' in his boat to help scoop the fish out of the water after they've been shocked. I hope to get to take some pics while there too and I hope he shocks up some bigguns. The pond is only about 5 years old and is about 5 acres in area. Some of y'all have seen some pics of Bass I've caught there recently including this 6.5 lb, 23 incher: I'll of course post what he finds and some pics too I hope. Found this Relative Weight Table while searching: Scroll down Dan

Sugoi from GY The only way I rig a T-rigged hook is "Tex-skin-on-Top" and I'd show you an image of it from another site but it won't show here? Here is the articl. Scroll way down the pg to see the image and a description. It works and it sticks 'em. And, if you're using a stretchy line(Iron Silk--what a misnomer), you will miss half of your bites IMO. Dan

"LR: That "reel set" you describe sounds very much like the set I use when I'm using circle hooks." No, not exactly, actually far from it . With a circle hook bait, you're just reeling to set the hook with no rod movement(theoretically anyway :-?) needed. I didn't mean to imply that the reeling is the main ingredient, it's just the first of a very violent set of events that happen very rapidly with hopefully, a very P/O'd Bass being brought to you with a hook(s) sunk deep enouth in her cartilage to keep her comin' ;D. Dan

Your heart is in the right place IMO. I'll say it again, I will not kill a double-digit Bass and have her mounted > Yes, replicas are the way to go IMO. More than one pic(each side, belly, mouth, and top) would be best. Dan

What Mike said about the BBZ book but you have to read it with an OPEN mind as there are techniques/baits explained in it that will have you shaking your head ;D ! It's right here beside my PC as I key. Avid: I learned how to hook up a Bass with a swimbait from that very book(I got it right after it came out.) Bill tells about a "reelset" not a hookset when using bigger baits like Matt's Bluegills and the slightly smaller Baby Bass(You really need to get some of them IMO.) A reelset starts out with the rod's position. After the bait is where you want it, point the rod directly at the bait, inline with the line. Think of the rod as a 'rifle' and you're 'shooting' at the bait. Yes, I know that sounds 'wrong' but it's not. If you hold the rod to the side or upward, when you get bit, you don't have time to reel down to tighten the line and do a conventinal hookset. I'm guessing that's what happened to you with the Bluegill? Now start a steady, slow retrieve keeping the rod pointed directly at the bait. If you're standing(and you should be), the rod will be pointing slightly downward. directly in front of your body with the rod's handle tucked under your arm. When I get bit it's always just a slight 'thump' not a savage strike so you have to be ready at all times(including right at your boat or your feet) and this where a fluro line earns its cost as it's so sensitive. When I feel that light thump(I think it's the bait hitting the back of the Bass's mouth as she flared her gills and sucked it in?), I start REELING....NOW and then I sweep the rod to the side, torquing my upper body with it, reeling the entire time......Bass on! The upper. dorsal hook usually ends up stuck into the roof of the Bass's mouth unless it's a smaller fish and then it's usually in the lip. I don't add a 'stinger' treble hook to his baits but I do on the larger Hudds. I use a 7', 6" Heavy rod(Kistler Helium) to take advantage of its leverage and power. The reeling adds power to the reelset and you can't do that immediately unless your rod is pointing directly at the bait/Bass. I've even started holding my rod like that for some other baits; cr/baits, spinnerbaits for instance but not for 'normal' soft-plastics or topwaters. Dan

Avid: Until last summer(OK, I got an 8/11 back in Feb), my biggest Bass was a Florida-caught 8 lber, caught 30 years ago from the bank of the Tamiami Trail Canal. Then I got a few of these: and my numbers went up; quantity-wise as well as quality-wise. I fish small waters too, some of them similar to your description. Last summer brought me several 5s, 6s, one 7/12, and my new PB, a 9 lber with Matt's Baby Bass. I would urge you to order three of them and I firmly believe you will catch your "8 lber". His Bluegills make an excellant bedding bait as they stay 'nose-down' when allowed to go to the bottom even if the male nips at the bait. Dan

Larry Nixon: Met him at a BM Univ. and he's a real gentleman. Shaw Grigsby: Florida Basser personified! Dan

We live in the county just South of Centerville after moving here in 1972. I'm a stockbroker so I've never fished on the base. Yes, I've had great luck with Matt's Baby Bass here in both private ponds and in the State-owned Dodge County PFA lake. I've caught dozens of Bass on those models plus on his Bluegills too. Here are just a couple of Matt's Baby Bass Bass: 7/12 6 lber 6+ lber 6+ lber Here's a small Bass on his new, 6" Rainbow Trout bait: Dan

This article will help you rig Texas-style. Rig your EWG hook the "Tex-skin-on-top" way shown way down the article and your hook will be "weedless" but won't have to pierce the worm, Senko, etc. on the hookset as it's already all the way thru the bait. Don't be afraid to throw a soft-plastic bait anywhere with it rigged like that. Here is the weedless hook I use when wack-rigging which is an alternative to Texas-rigging. Wacky-rigging is shown in that article too. That's a weedless, wacky-rigged Senko; the yellow one. Btw, wherever you were schooled, they did a great job! You posts were written very well . Dan [

2005 has been my best year so far in about 30 years of Bassin'. In Feb, I caught my new PB, an 8/11 and then in Aug, I caught my current PB, a nine lber. I don't know how many but there were a bunch ;D. Many caught on my new(got it last summer) swimbait, Matt's Baby Bass ranging from 1.5 lbs to that 9 lber. Forums like this one have helped all of us for sure! 8-) Dan

I found this one. Dan

Welcome to BR barrabait. Pitching is my first or second favorite technique I use. Pitching can be done while sitting but it's done more easily while standing. Usually, you're targeting a specific piece of cover(stump, laydown, grass edge, etc.) that's just a few(10-30'?) feet away. The intent is to drop the bait(usually a jig, a small swimbait, or T-rigged soft-plastic) quietly into the water right next to the target and to get it to drop straight down. Many times, the strike will come as the bait falls thru the water column so watch for the line to 'jump'; reel down and set the hook hard. Other times. the strike may come with the bait just laying still on the bottom and if it doesn't, just pop the bait up and forward a foot or so, let it sit again, etc. Strikes can be very 'soft' so a sensitive line like 100% flurocarbon is my choice. I taught myself to pitch a few years ago after watching a Denny Brauer video(out of production now) over and over. I practised out in my yard by pitching a jig towards and under bushes along the side of my home. It's the most 'fun' way to catch Bass IMO. That's a "pitched-jig" Bass in my avatar Dan

Never fished a tourny and though I still enjoy a dink on the end of the line vs. no Bass, there is no doubt in my mind that catching big(hopefully a double-digit soon) Bass far surpasses any number of small Bass for me. Dan

I got in a hurry! Dan

95% of the time I'm fishing alone in my small Basshunter pond boat. I started carrying a tripod(don't get a cheap--$20 one--it cost me a dig. camera) with my dig. camera. The camera has a large(3x2") viewing screen, a wireless remote and of course, a timer(2 or 10 seconds). When I catch one I want to photograph, I weigh/tape it first, place it on a stainless steel clip/stringer(and back in the water), and then I set up the camera/tripod and put my shirt on if it's summer time . Dan

Here's a tagged Bass I caught last year. I was fishing in a State owned, public fishing area and the DNR people there tagged hundreds of Bass for "growth" purposes a year or two ago. Each tag(the red tube sticking out of its belly) has a unique number. I copied the number down after photographing the Bass and then released her with the tag intact. There are forms near the docking area where they ask you to fill them out; date, length, girth, weight, etc. You leave it in a mail box or mail it back later and they send you a coozy or a pack of worms. I've caught three, tagged Bass there including my PB, a 9 lber. My own way of tagging does not provide any info other than to tell me I've caught it before. After weighing the Bass, I clip(stainless steel) it to a stringer and put it back in the water while I get the camera set up. The clip leaves a hole in the lower membrane just behind the lower lip. There is no bleeding from this as the thin membrane is inert, kind of like our outer skin or cuticle around our fingers. They swim off none the worse for the wear. Here's a pic of a six lber I caught three different times over a span of 3 or 4 months. It's the only Bass I caught in that small, State owned pond. The first time she hit a weightless Senko on top of some isolated pads. The second time, she hit a weightless Trick worm and when I grabbed her by the lower lip to land her, my finger slid right into the hole left there from the first time. The third time, she hit another weightless Senko while she was 'rooting' thru some duck weed. Dan

Well, I d/k if you're willing to come to GA but the Dodge County PFA is mamaged by the State for big Bass and other species. It has docks and clean banks for non-boaters too. That's a 7+ lber I caught there back in 2005. Dan

All good advice and suggestions above and I'll chime in too and address this issue: " I had several large bass hit my plastic lure and no matter how hard I tried to set the hook they would still get away." First off, the rod as mentioned is so important. I prefer a minimum of 7' in length and a 7/6 is even better for the leverage it offers on a hookset. It must have a 'fast' tip IMO and enough backbone too. Secondly, is the line. If you are using Iron Silk or any other 'stretchy' mono, then you need to change your line. While bank fishing with my best friend several months ago, he kept complaining about missing several hooksets. We were using the same model Kistler Helium, 7' rod and he was throwing a weightless, 5" Senko. I looked at his rig and he had Iron(what a misnomer!) Silk spooled on. I loaned him one of my rigs with 15# Seaguar's Carbon Pro flurocarbon line on it. First cast and he hooked and landed a nice 5 lber. 100% fluro has very little stretch, is sensitive, tough, and almost invisable underwater........an almost 'perfect' line IMO. Thirdly, I rig the 4/0 EWG hook(I use GY's Sugoi hooks almost exclusively.) this way(quotes from ***): "Tex-Exposed For open water or thin cover, put the point into the bottom of the bait and all the way out the top of the bait. The barb on some hooks like the Yamamoto Sugoi angle downward, so the point will hug flat on top of the bait. This is called "Tex-Exposed," meaning it is an exposed point Texas rig. Applications are where the water is mostly open, with few snags and sparse weed patches. Tex-Exposed works a bit better on big fat-bodied grubs or on wide-bodied lizards where there is some girth that tends to bump the Tex-Exposed point away from snaggage. Tex-Skin on Top For moderate cover, follow the directions for Tex-Exposing the hook. Then, insert the hook point and barb just under the skin on the plastic bait's back. You have to pull the plastic forward in front of where the hook comes out the top of the bait, and stretch it forward a bit. While it is still stretched, insert the point just under the skin, and then push the stretched plastic back to cover the barb area. The only way to describe it is that the hook point should appear just under the bait's skin exactly as if you got a splinter in your thumb or your big toe, just under your skin. Above all, you need to leave some slack in the body of the lure when you rig it. You cannot have the bait stretched too tightly onto the hook. Tautness in the lure body is what makes for poor hooksetting. You have to leave the slightest amount of slack in the body between the hook eye and the embedded point. The slackness makes for a good hookset. This is a feel that only comes with doing it right. Leaving slack does not mean that the lure should look like it has a bend or curve caused by the way you rigged it - it should look perfectly straight - but when you press down on it with your index finger right where you want the fish to bite it, there should be some looseness, some slack give in the lure body. You want the fish's mouth to depress the bait's body down easily in the section ahead of where the hook point is waiting. Once the hook point starts to grab hold in the fish's mouth, you really want the entire bait to easily pull down off the front portion of the hook, and out of the way where it won't interfere with a good hook set. This is kind of hard to describe in writing, but very recognizable once you get the hang of doing it. " Note that the hook has already pierced the body(Texas-skin-on-top notTex-sposed) of the bait so when setting that hook, it becomes easy in that no extra force is needed in the hookset. By slipping the 'skin' of the bait over the hook's tip, you have a weedless bait but one that will offer the best chance of a successful hookset. Dan

8/11-Lil Hustler Spinnerbait Caught from the shore in a cotton field pond near Tifton, Ga back in Feb. of this year. 9 even--26"--Matt's Baby Bass Caught in a public lake in middle Ga. managed by the state for big Bass and she was tagged by the state. Both were returned to be caught again. Still lookin' for my first double-digit. Dan

"Do I really need 100.00 reel?" Noooooooooo, but..............you usually get what you pay for in reels IMO. Yes, you can learn to cast a $xx reel and you can land Bass with one but the cheaper ones will be harder for you to master baitcasting. They may be noisy/sloppy when casting and retrieving, may not be serviceable(no parts available, etc.) and most of all, they will have an inferior drag system................. I'd get a Shimano Curado or a Daiwa Procaster at minimum. I use to use a Curado and it's a fine reel. I've not used that particular Daiwa but I have several of their other models. Their "Mag-force" brakeing system is easier to adjust than the Shimano but both are excellant reels for the price. For a basic Bass bait, you can't go wrong using a 5" Senko--color #222 rigged weightless, Texas-skin-on-top style with a GY Sugoi 4/0 hook. I've caught scores of Bass over the last 6 years using just that combo, up to 6 lbs. My best friend throws that bait/rig 98% of the time and he's caught many Bass(from the shore) including an 8 lb, 13 ouncer. Dan

I agree Preston. Nice post! Dan